Two Koppers Employees Named 2022 STEP Ahead Award Honorees by the Manufacturing Institute

Koppers today announced that two of its female leaders are being recognized by The Manufacturing Institute with 2022 STEP Ahead Awards. Focused on science, technology, engineering and production (STEP), the annual awards celebrate women from across all levels of the manufacturing industry demonstrating excellence and leadership in their careers.Min Kuang, Senior Research Scientist in Griffin, Georgia, will be recognized as a STEP Ahead Honoree for achievements that have made a significant impact on the manufacturing industry. Amber Leech, Customer Support Specialist in Harmarville, Pennsylvania, will be recognized as a STEP Ahead Emerging Leader for excelling early in her career. The two Koppers employees will join a select number of fellow honorees from around the country at an awards ceremony in April.

“Min and Amber are great examples of the hardworking, innovative and empathetic leaders at Koppers who are going above and beyond, both in the workplace and in their communities,” said Koppers President and CEO Leroy M. Ball. “The fact that their impact is being celebrated in this way only adds to our pride in them and our appreciation for all they do for our customers, our communities and our stakeholders. On behalf of the entire Koppers team, we send our sincere congratulations to Min and Amber on this well-deserved accomplishment.”

“The 2022 STEP Ahead Honorees and Emerging Leader awardees are excellent representatives of the exciting opportunities available in manufacturing,” said Denise Rutherford, 2022 STEP Ahead chair. “These remarkable women and the leadership they show help inspire the next generation of female leaders to consider careers in manufacturing.”

A major challenge facing manufacturers continues to be the growing workforce crisis due to a shortage of skilled talent. According to The Manufacturing Institute, companies can close the skills gap by 50 percent simply by bringing 10 percent more women into the industry. Koppers continues to be committed to recruiting and retaining qualified women in all aspects of its global business. Currently, the company’s employee resource group for women is engaged in an effort to develop solutions to better attract, retain and support women at our manufacturing sites.

Leech joined Koppers full-time in 2019 following a two-year internship with the company. Since then, she has served on multiple research and development teams dedicated to creating solutions for the sustainable recovery of used railroad crossties while providing critical support to customers. Leech is highly involved with Koppers inclusion and diversity, sustainability and community efforts. Additionally, she is a longtime active member of Club Hope and mentors female high school seniors.

Kuang joined Koppers in 2016 and has led the development of highly profitable and innovative products such as a water repellent for treated lumber and utility poles, an exterior fire-retardant coating for treated utility poles, and an oil-borne preservative system. In addition, she has managed research efforts in developing future copper-free preservative formulations for pressure- and non-pressure treated wood. Kuang also participates in Koppers inclusion and diversity efforts and new hire mentoring program, and is an active member of her community through tutoring, teaching and volunteering.

Click here to read profiles of Kuang and Leech on the STEP Ahead website.

About Koppers

Koppers, with corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals, and carbon compounds. Our products and services are used in a variety of niche applications in a diverse range of end markets, including the railroad, specialty chemical, utility, residential lumber, agriculture, aluminum, steel, rubber, and construction industries. We serve our customers through a comprehensive global manufacturing and distribution network, with facilities located in North America, South America, Australasia, and Europe. The stock of Koppers Holdings Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “KOP.”

Contact:

Jessica Franklin – Manager, Corporate Communications, Brand and Giving – FranklinJm@koppers.com – (412) 227-2025

Source: Koppers Holdings, Inc.